1973 L-5 CES, and Some Advice Needed

**6v6ster** · 02-15-2022, 01:52 PM

1970 was the year they made a ton of changes to the L5, as follows. This should help you nail
down the year (I’m guessing early 1970, yours seemed to have some mixed features).

fiberboard headstock overlay replaces wood

smaller flower pot on headstock

Volute added (ended in 1982)

Screw-on pickguard mount used replacing traditional

MOP inlay added to feet of bridge

neck set raised much higher making string tension higher

slope of top near neck changed necessitating turning neck pickup backwards to make pickup even with strings

stopped fancy truss rod cover

**wintermoon** · 02-15-2022, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by 6v6ster

1970 was the year they made a ton of changes to the L5, as follows. This should help you nail
down the year (I’m guessing early 1970, yours seemed to have some mixed features).

fiberboard headstock overlay replaces wood

smaller flower pot on headstock

Volute added (ended in 1982)

Screw-on pickguard mount used replacing traditional

MOP inlay added to feet of bridge

neck set raised much higher making string tension higher

slope of top near neck changed necessitating turning neck pickup backwards to make pickup even with strings

stopped fancy truss rod cover

actually volutes came in on the L-5 and Super 400 around '76 ish

**Stringswinger** · 02-15-2022, 05:32 PM

In mid 1970. Gibson went from the oval label to the square label.

**Jimmy Mack** · 02-15-2022, 09:26 PM

Originally Posted by maco

Wow! that is a whole lot of Mojo. Your pic of the back looks to be 2 pieces but the grain is perfectly matched. Am I correct? Anyway, Congrats on your purchase.

Yes Congrats. But I wouldn't call that grain perfectly matched at all.

But who cares, the front is beautiful!